FINAL EVALUATION REPORT: “Sustainable, equitable and fair. Consume local, Consume Palestine” SUBMITTED TO RIYADA CONSULTING AND TRAINING May 24th, 2021 LOCATION WEST BANK ǀ TIMEFRAME FEBRUARY- MAY 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Context............................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 Brief description of the project........................................................................................................ 11 2.3 End of Project Reported Impact..................................................................................................... 12 3. Methodology..........................................................................................................................................19 3.1 Strategy and Timetable of Work..................................................................................................... 19 3.1.1 Inception Meeting/s............................................................................................................... 19 3.1.2 Desk Review......................................................................................................................... 19 3.1.3 Development of Evaluation Tools/Questionnaires................................................................ 19 3.2: Fieldwork....................................................................................................................................... 21 3.2.1 Qualitative Research............................................................................................................. 24 3.2.2 Quantitative Research.......................................................................................................... 28 3.3 Draft and Finalize the Evaluation................................................................................................... 28 3.4 Ethical Protocols............................................................................................................................. 28 4. Findings................................................................................................................................................. 29 4.0 Demographics: 29 4.1 Relevance 31 4.2 Coherence 33 4.3 Ownership 35 4.4 Efficiency 37 4.5 Effectiveness 39 4.6 Impact 42 4.6.1 Economic Impact 43 4.6.1a Economic Indicators 47 4.6.1b Capacity Development Indicators 48 4.6.1c Access to the Market Indicators 50 4.6.2 Social Impact 51 4.6.2a Decision-Making and Ownership of Assets Indicators 52 4.6.2b Gender Equality Indicators 55 4.6.2c Living conditions 56 4.7 Sustainability 57 4.8 Analysis of Cooperative System 58 4.8.1 Individual and Collective Relationship 61 4.8.2 Local Products and Social Economy in Palestine 62 4.8.3 Fair Trade 64 4.9 Evaluation of GVA17 Planning Logistical Framework 64 4.9.1 Analysis of Current Approach to Monitoring and Evaluation 65 4.9.2 Key Contextual Considerations 65 4.9.3 Opportunities for Further Development 68 5. Conclusions 69 5.1 Lessons Learned 69 5.2 Recommendations 71 6. Annex 74 Annex 1: Questionnaire for Key Informant Interviews with project partners 74 Annex 2: Questionnaire for Key Information Interview with representatives and Key Staff Members from each of the 4 groups involved in the project 76 Annex 3: Questionnaire for Key Informant Interviews with local actors 79 Annex 4: Questionnaire for focus group discussions 82 Annex 5: Quantitative Survey for Project Direct Beneficiaries 84 2 Executive Summary The Sustainable, Equitable, and Fair: Local Consume, Consume Palestine project is a 592,000 EUR initiative funded by the Generalitat Valenciana and implemented by the Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz (ACPP), La Tenda de Tot el Món and the Agricultural Development Association (PARC). The project aims to contribute to the improvement of Palestinian rural populations’ living conditions by socio-economically empowering Palestinian rural women in four target locations (Faqu’a, Al Jalama, Meithalun, and Jaba’, all located in the Jenin Governorate of the West Bank) and by strengthening the value chain of Palestinian projects in line with sustainability criteria and responsible consumption. The main goal of the evaluation was to provide an external assessment of the process developed by ACPP together with the Tenda de Tot el Món and PARC, in the framework of the international cooperation for development in Palestine. In addition, it offers an assessment of the work done to promote socio-economic empowerment of Palestinian rural woman and to strengthen the value chain of Palestinian products through sustainability and responsible consumption criteria. In order to ensure a holistic analysis, Riyada Consulting and Training evaluation team conducted participatory qualitative and quantitative analysis processes which held several key informant interviews, and focus groups discussions with multiple stakeholders, partners and beneficiaries, and conducted an economic analysis of each of the four coops, as well as implemented beneficiary quantitative survey, which provided comparative data to the baseline survey conducted at the start of the project. Throughout the implementation of this multi-layered research approach, the evaluation team also remained particularly mindful of the gender aspects of the project and the sensitivities that exist within Palestinian society regarding the inclusion of women within the economic sector. Therefore, a gender approach was taken in the formation and development of the research tools, and respected throughout the field work, as well as informed the lens through which the findings were analyzed. Finally, it is important to note the significant impact of COVID19 on the project and evaluation process itself. As during the evaluation period there were a number of locked down restrictions in place, the interviews and focus group discussion took place virtually. This was for the protection and health of both the evaluation team and the participants in the analysis process. Lessons Learned ● Importance of the project design and early buy-in: ACCP and PARC applied learning from previous similar GVA projects to the design of GVA17, which contributed to the success of the design and method of implementation of the project. Specifically, the attention and effort given to conducting a baseline study, helped to ensure that the iniativites selected for this project were aligned with the needs of their community, presented a diversity in terms of being producers and consumers, as well as had a strong potential of being economically viable. Additionally, the attention to how the concepts of Fair Trade and Cooperatives were shared with the beneficiaries was highly aligned with the expertise among the Spanish partners, making the ‘made in Palestine’ component of the project stronger, and increased the overall buy-in of the beneficiaries and their 3 communities in the initiative. The buy-in was also enhanced by the diversity of project activities, studies and plans, inputs for cooperatives, capacity building, exhibitions, exchange visits, round table discussions, certification, as well as the SEAL design, promotion, and conference. It was also clear that donor financing should not 100% cover the cost of the project, but by creating a pathway for the beneficiaries themselves to make a cash contribution, at a reasonable rate for the economic context, enhances their ownership to their projects as well as its sustainability. ● The Positives and Negatives of the COVID19 pandemic: The COVID19 pandemic created a very difficult challenge for the GVA17 project, which undoubtedly impacted the level of success of the income generation activities and limited the potential for the coops economic development. It also challenged the management and administration of the coops, as well as limited their ability to engage fully in financial reporting in a timely manner. That said, the restrictions and intensity of the pandemic experience did have an unexpected impact on the level of ownership and commitment to the project’s initiatives. Where it might have been expected that these challenges would decrease interest among the coop members, it actually had a rather unifying impact for not only the beneficiaries but also their communities and local representatives. ● Importance of engagement with Relevant Stakeholders: The evaluation findings have shown a consistency between the designed activities, proposed results, objectives, and the implemented actions. The project is in alignment with the national and regional strategies and the inclusion of Human Rights and Gender Approaches. The project concretely built on the baseline study performed at an early stage of the project. High consideration to 2030 agenda, the intervention's relevance to the carefully chosen framework. ● The Palestine Seal and Awareness raising about ‘made in Palestine’ products: The Palestine SEAL was an innovative approach to make Palestinian products visible and distinguish all the products made in Palestine, it is clear that the seal should be incorporated into the packaging of the various products towards local and international markets. It was also clear that the Seal was